Appointments

Called to the Bar in the High Court of New Zealand in 1998 and admitted there also as a Solicitor

Appointed a Master of the Bench of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple 2003

Appointed as a Deputy Judge of the High Court in 2004

Chambers UK Bar

Leading Set

2015

The Legal 500

Leading Set

2014

Chambers UK Bar

Leading Set

2015

The Legal 500

Leading Set

2014

Practice Summary

Philip lives in Switzerland and is often instructed by other continental and American lawyers in cases involving several jurisdictions. He takes on cases with an international dimension and is also a specialist in white collar fraud, corporate and gross negligence manslaughter, international criminal law, extradition and European law.

He has wide experience in the Court of Appeal, and (formerly) the House of Lords including the challenge of search warrants and restraint/receivership orders. He has an extensive practice in diversion, VAT, tax and mortgage frauds, fraudulent trading. He has advised on money laundering regulations, civil fraud allegations on the impact of the criminal law and advising in confiscation proceedings.

Philip’s practice includes the tracing of hidden assets in divorce and family law cases and in civil remedies for victims of fraud. His other fields of professional expertise include all aspects of international law, international licensing, the drafting of complex international contractual obligations, and the financial consequences of international divorce.
In the 1980’s he began his pro bono work, particularly for final appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in death penalty cases from the British Commonwealth countries.

Philip has appeared as amicus before many US State Supreme Courts including the presentation of oral argument. This culminated in the United States Supreme Court landmark decision [5-4] of Roper v Simmons 125 S. Ct. 1183 [March, 2005] whereby the death penalty was abolished throughout all of the United States for juvenile offenders.

Lackey v State of Texas(1995) 115 S.Ct.1421 (Supreme Court of the United States — Amicus Curiae Brief on behalf of the English Bar; the Memorandum of Justices Stevens and Breyer respected denial of certiorari on the first attempt to bring the jurisprudence of Pratt v A.G. of Jamaica into an American Federal Court)

H.R.H. The Princess of Wales v Stenning(1996) High Court — appearing as Counsel for Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales in the obtaining of a High Court injunction restraining media personnel from interfering with the privacy and movements of H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, H.R.H. Prince William (the presumptive heir to the Throne) and H.R.H. Prince Henry. The legal basis of her claim was in privacy and nuisance and was argued before the Protection from Harassment Act, 1997 came into force The Defendant was never able successfully to set aside the injunction prior to the death of H.R.H. the Princess of Wales

McGinnis v State of Texas[2000] U.S.S.C. 99-7870 (Supreme Court of the United States — Amicus Curiae Brief on behalf of the English Bar; International Law — Prohibition on the Execution of Children at the Time of the Offence)

Napolean Beazley v Johnson[2002] USSC 00-10618 (Supreme Court of the United States — Amicus Curiae Brief on behalf of the English Bar, in collaboration with the University of San Francisco Law School -International Law — Prohibition on the Execution of Children at the Time of the Offence)

Roper v Simmons125 S. Ct. 1183 [March, 2005] Amicus Curiae Brief whereby the death penalty was abolished throughout the United States for juvenile offenders

R v R(divorce: jurisdiction: domicile) [2006] 1 FLR 389 a domicile of choice cannot be acquired or retained by a mere declaration of the parties